Register and advertising desk.



N0. 643.582. Patented Feb. I3, I900. F. H. ADAMS &. G. F. KANE. REGISTER AND ADVERTISING DESK. (Apphcat 5mm Aug 11 1899) (No Model.)

I Ede/6351:;

I I'rED STATES FRANK H. ADAMS, or WALL LAKE, IowA, AND GEORGE F. KANE, or WARREN, ILLINOIS; SAID KANE AssIeNoR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO SAID ADAMS.

REGISTER AN D ADVERTISING DESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 643,582, dated February 13, 1900.

Appfiwtion file August 1], 1899. Serial No. 726,888. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, FRANK H. ADAMS, residing at Wall Lake, Sac county, Iowa, and GEORGE F. KANE, residing at. Warren, Illinois, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements .in Registers and Advertising Desks, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to registers adapted for use in hotels and in like situations where it is desirable to keep readily accessible a'list which is to be continuously added to and in connection therewith appropriate advertising matter is to be displayed.

The present invention relates more particularly to the construction of the register-casing and to the recording-tablet and means for holding the same in position,so that the sheets thereof may be used successively and be at all times readily accessible.

The invention also includes the details of construction to be hereinafter referred to, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the register, and Fig. 2 a vertical sectional View. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are detail views.

The casingis made, preferably, in the shape of a desk, the upper face being inclined, as usual, and the headboard provided with an ornamented edge. The interior of the casing is divided into three compartments by two vertically arranged partitions 1, extending from the head to the foot of the same and having their upper edges flush with the sides of the casing. The end compartments are much narrower than the central one and are closed at their tops by panels 2, which extend across the same between the sides of the casing and said partitions. Upon these panels cards or strips having advertising matter indicated therein are laid. A suitable mat 2 is placed over these cards and then a glass panel placed above the same, the whole being held in place beneath the frame 4. The middle compartment 5 has a partition 6 extending across the same, between which and the foot of the casing 7 a panel 8 is arranged similar to the panels 2, adapted to receive advertising-cards and having a suitable mat and glass, all retained in place by said frame 4. The recording-tablet occupies the main part of the middle space,bein g supported centrally thereof upon a spring-pressed base-board 10. The springs 11,which support this board, are arranged in vertical coils, one bearing at each corner of the under face of the same, their lower ends encircling vertical pins 12, pro jecting from the bottom board of the casing, said pins serving to maintain the springs in upright position.

The tablet 12 is fastened to a rod 13 by means of spring-clips coiled around said rod and engaging eyes secured in the upper edge of the tablet. The rod is'removably supported at its ends in an opening 13 and a groove 13" in the opposing faces of the partitions 1 below the face of the base-board and slightly in advance of its upper edge. After the rod is inserted in said opening the tablet is laid with one or more sheets flat upon the baseboard, and as it is designed to be used from its bottom up at the beginning only the lowermost sheet is placed in this position. The remaining sheets are doubled over and placed in the space in advance of the base-board, the lower or free edges thereof resting upon the flat sheet at the extreme upper edge of the same, so that while the double sheets will be out of the way they will still be readily accessible. A horizontal panel 13 is placed above the space occupied by the doubled-over portion of the tablet, it being retained in place by pins extending from each of its edges engaging slots 20 21 in the partitions 1, and supported at its edge adjacent to the tablet on blocks 22, secured to said partitions. This panel also receives advertising-cards and a mat and glass to retain the same. In place of one of the advertising-cards an ink-well 14. may be supported upon this panel in the upper corner of the same.

The head-board 15 is hinged at 16, so as to permit the upper part thereof to be swung back, which will permit the ad vertising-cards held beneath the panel at to be withdrawn and changed. This will be true with regard to both the middle upper panel and with regard to the advertisements under the side panels. In order that the advertising-card, the mat, and the glass may be all slid out at once, we

provide the boards upon which the advertising-cards held by side panels rest with a lip or flange to engage the edges of the card, mat, and glass, so that when the boards are withdrawn the parts mentioned will be Withdrawn also. These boards fit in suitable grooves in the walls. The lower middle panel may be withdrawn in a manner similar to the others by opening the frame 17 and depressing the board 10. This will permit the board 8 to be drawn toward the top of the desk and removed through the opening left by the frame 17. To preferto make the middle upper panel on the same angle as the other panels.

The sheet, which is laid fiat on the baseboard, is retained in place by a light frame 17, hinged to the upper edge of one of the partitions 1 and having a spring-locking connection 18 with the opposite partition. This frame only engages the edge of the sheets, leaving the entire body port-ion of the flat sheet uncovered to receive any writing which it may be found desirable to inscribe.

The under face of the frame is preferably recessed to permit the base-board to press the sheet or sheets thereon as nearly as possible flush with the upper face of the casing. After the first sheet has been used the frame may be lifted and the lower edge of the succeeding sheet grasped and drawn down over the board in position to receive the writing. This spring base-board of course compensates for the varying number of sheets supported flat thereon and always presses them firmly againsttheframe. Aftertheentiretablethas been used it may readily be removed and a new one inserted.

\Ve claim- 1. In combination, in aregister, the casing, a spring-pressed base-board, a pocket in said casing in advance of said board having upper and lower confining-walls adapted to hold a tablet, a removable rod extending across said pocket adapted to have the upper edge of the tablet secured thereto, the sheets of said tablet adapted to be successively supported on said board from the lowermost sheet upward and means for retaining the sheets on said board coacting with the spring-pressed board, substantially as described.

2. In combination, the casing having an opening therein, a spring-pressed base-plate, a tablet-rod arranged in advance of said board, a tabletpocket in advance of said board having a con fining-wall above and below said rod, and means for engaging the side and lower edges of the tablet-sheets to hold the same on said board, substantially as described.

3. In combination, in a register, a casing, partitions therein, an open central space in said casing, panels supported between said partitions and the sides of the casing, advertising-cards adapted to rest thereon, removable frames for holding the same in place, a spring base board located in said central space, a rod removably supported in advance thereof, said rod being adapted to carry a tablet, said tablet being adapted to have a part of the sheets thereof lie on said board and a part folded over, a frame adapted to retain said sheets in place on said board, a removable panel fitted between said partitions adapted to rest above and cover the foldedover part of said tablet and the space occupied thereby, and a hinged head-piece to said casing adapted to permit access to said advertising-cards, substantially as described.

4. In combination in a register, a casing having the means for holding the writing-pad, a head and side panels, ad vertising-cards held in said panels and a hinged head-piece to permit the advertising-cards to be removed.

5. In combination, in a register, a casing having theyielding board 10, and a foot-panel having advertising means which is removable when the board is displaced, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK H. ADAMS. GEORGE F. KANE.

\Vitnesses:

W. II. TOWNSEND, J. M. SwETHUnsr. 

